Ryan Newman is quickly becoming unbeatable at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. And, in spite of a 45-minute rain delay, Newman, who won from the pole in July, topped the speed charts at the one-mile oval for the sixth time.
But Newman’s speed might not have been the story of the day. Forty drivers had run their qualifying laps when the rain began. Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya was next in line to make his run when the track was wet.
NASCAR told him it was alright to go, but Montoya declined. Then five-time Champion, Jimmie Johnson, refused to go out. "Send out the No. 48, if he's so brave," Montoya said.
With a support race, the K&N East Series, scheduled to run after Cup qualifying, NASCAR officials wanted to complete qualifying for the final five cars.
So out and onto the tracks went the track driers and the last five ran their qualifying laps after the delay.
“I don’t think I have seen that much drama go into the last five cars in qualifying in my ten or eleven years experience, just to have the little situation we did with the rain, the drizzle. It is a tough situation,” said Newman who won the pole at 135.002 mph.
“I was thinking about it when I was in the car. On one hand your thinking well the other guys had sprinkle, some of them did, some of them didn’t, but in the end you were supposed to have dry track conditions or at least it not be raining when we go out on the race track, so I understand where Jimmie ( Johnson) came from when he pulled in.
“My track was dry, I don’t know that it was any faster to answer that question; I think we picked up about the same amount of speed as the other guys did earlier in qualifying.”
The Red Bull teammates of Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers were second and third fastest, respectively.
Kahne, who was provisionally on the pole at 134.763mph wanted to risk running earlier, but couldn’t. “I wasn’t in position to go and Kenny (Francis, crew chief) wouldn’t let me go once the other three said no. I had no chance, but if I was the first car there I’d have rolled off for sure.”
Montoya went out under orders and had a miserable time ending up 31st for Sunday’s race. “Our car was fast enough to sit on the pole, and we're 27th, (before the last four cars ran)" Montoya said. "It's a freaking joke."
But Newman’s speed might not have been the story of the day. Forty drivers had run their qualifying laps when the rain began. Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya was next in line to make his run when the track was wet.
NASCAR told him it was alright to go, but Montoya declined. Then five-time Champion, Jimmie Johnson, refused to go out. "Send out the No. 48, if he's so brave," Montoya said.
With a support race, the K&N East Series, scheduled to run after Cup qualifying, NASCAR officials wanted to complete qualifying for the final five cars.
So out and onto the tracks went the track driers and the last five ran their qualifying laps after the delay.
“I don’t think I have seen that much drama go into the last five cars in qualifying in my ten or eleven years experience, just to have the little situation we did with the rain, the drizzle. It is a tough situation,” said Newman who won the pole at 135.002 mph.
“I was thinking about it when I was in the car. On one hand your thinking well the other guys had sprinkle, some of them did, some of them didn’t, but in the end you were supposed to have dry track conditions or at least it not be raining when we go out on the race track, so I understand where Jimmie ( Johnson) came from when he pulled in.
“My track was dry, I don’t know that it was any faster to answer that question; I think we picked up about the same amount of speed as the other guys did earlier in qualifying.”
The Red Bull teammates of Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers were second and third fastest, respectively.
Kahne, who was provisionally on the pole at 134.763mph wanted to risk running earlier, but couldn’t. “I wasn’t in position to go and Kenny (Francis, crew chief) wouldn’t let me go once the other three said no. I had no chance, but if I was the first car there I’d have rolled off for sure.”
Montoya went out under orders and had a miserable time ending up 31st for Sunday’s race. “Our car was fast enough to sit on the pole, and we're 27th, (before the last four cars ran)" Montoya said. "It's a freaking joke."